Auxiliary shelf supports



Jan. 15, 1957 w. A. BELTZ AUXILIARY SHELF SUPPORTS Filed Feb. 1. 1954mmvnm M 561 T2 BY United States Patent AUXILIARY SHELF SUPPORTS WilliamA. Beltz West Boyl ston, Mass. Application February 1, 1954, Serial No.407,459

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-135) This invention is an improvement on the inventiondisclosed in my copending application Serial No. 258,909 filed November29, 1951, for an Auxiliary Shelf Support. This application is herebyreferred to in order to additionally explain the present invention whichis directed to the subject matter thereof but includes an improvementthereon.

In general, this invention relates to new and improved brackets, plates,or the like for building or supporting shelves and shelving without theuse of separate fasteners or tools, and the principal object of theinvention provides a plate-like bracket which is applicable against avertical wall adjacent a floor .or already existing shelf, there beingmeans at the lower end of the bracket to support the same on the floor,said bracket including means at the upper end thereof for supporting ashelf made to fit the space allotted for the length of the shelf and theshelf itself holding the plate in position, and including inter-engagingcooperating means between the plate and the end portion of the shelfwhereby the latter is firmly held against accidental lateral movement,all without the use of any tools or fastening means or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 isa view in front elevation of one of the improved bracket members;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing a modification, partbeing broken away;

Fig. 3 is an edge view, partly in section, parts being broken away andin section and showing the application of the bracket of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an edge view illustrating the application of the bracket ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the bracket of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 2.

This invention and its use in the main parts thereof are adequatelyexplained in the above identified application. Briefly, there is aplate-like bracket generally indicated at 10 which is preferablyelongated in form and has a lower co-planar extension or the like 12which fits in between the side wall of a closet or the like and thefloor or a lower shelf. Adjacent theextension 12, there is a lateralextension or extensions 14 which will rest upon the floor or' anothershelf as indicated in Fig. 4. The extension 12 therefore is seen to holdthe plate 10 in upright position against the wall A which would appearat the left of the brackets in Figs. 3 and 4.

With the bracket in this position against the wall, the shelf 16 or 18is placed upon a pair of lateral supports or extensions 20, it beingunderstood that there is a bracket 10 at each end of the proposed newshelf. This shelf is cut to length and bears upon a co-planar extension22 at the upper end of the plate 10 and therefore the bracket holds theshelf in position and at the same ice , 2 time the shelf holds thebracket in position. This construction may be continued upwardly as faras desired and no tools are needed to apply such a device or to buildthe shelving. Ribs 21 are raised to stiffen the brackets.

In order to provide a mechanical inter-engagement between the bracket orplate and the shelving, this invention provides a tab 24 which may bedie cut as at 26 and bent outwardly in the direction of the extensions20, 20, so that when the shelf is set upon the extensions 20, 20, theprojection 24 willengage the end portion of the shelf and actuallypenetrate the same as clearly shown in Fig. 3. With this construction,it is impossible for the shelf to move laterally, i. e. outwardly of thecloset or other place of location of the shelf.

It will be seen that this invention is extremely simple as it is merelynecessary to cut the arcuate line at 26 and then bend out the tab 24.This tab makes the mechanical inter-engaging means referred to and atthe same time provides at its lower end as at 28 a reenforcing means forthe tab which is below extensions 20, 20 and is not engaged by theshelving, so that this portion of the tab acts as a reenforcing support,preventing the tab 24 from being bent when the shelf is moved intoengagement therewith.

Figs. 2, 4 and 6 illustrate a modification of the invention wherein theplate 10 is provided with the same shelfsupporting members 26, but inthis case the extension 22 is not cut but merely pressed forwardly orraised as at 30 to provide an outwardly extending bearing portion or thelike. When the shelf 18 is pressed down, the pressedout portion 30 maybe distorted to a slight extent and the end portion of the grain of thewood will be dis placed slightly, depending upon the exact length of theshelf. In any event, a firm mechanical engagement is occasioned betweenthe shelf and the bracket.

It will be seen that this invention provides an improvement over myprior invention in providing the mechanical inter-engaging means betweenthe supporting bracket and the shelf member and small variations inlength of the shelf will not occasion any looseness of the parts sincein both modifications of the present invention the shelving will firmlypress the plate against the wall against which the bracket or plate 10is originally positioned, and in both cases, the member 24 and themember 30 act somewhat in the nature of wedges in order to bind theparts and make the structure more rigid.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notWish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

The combination of a supporting structure including a horizontal bottommember and end walls adjacent thereto, with a shelf constructioncomprising a pair of brackets, each bracket comprising a main body,co-planar end extensions at each end of the main body and a pair ofspaced lateral projections adjacent each end of the body, each one ofsaid brackets having one end extension adapted to be inserted between anend wall and the bottom member with a lateral projection overlying thelatter in contact therewith, said brackets extending upright in closecontact with the respective end walls and at least partially held inupright position by the said inserted end and bottom member, and a shelfof penetrable material resting on the other lateral projection at theother end of the bracket, said shelf being of a length to conform to thespacing of the brackets, and a longitudinally extending lateralprojection in the area of the upper extending end, said last-namedprojection being at right angles to the main body of the bracket andlocated between the respective lateral projections at the jectioncomprising a partly cut out member bent out to form a tab, said tabextending above and below the uppermost lateral projections and formingbelow the latter a support and Ieenforcement for the shelf-engagedportion of the tab above the projection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS753,678 Dannenberg Mar. 1, 1904 4 Casper May 26, 1914 Goddin Oct. 27,1914 Ruff July 27, 1915 Wilkins Sept. 14, 1920 Gray Oct. 27, 1925 Guethet a1. Jan. 17, 1933 Fraser Mar. 20, 1934 Von Palmenberg Nov. 17, 1942Susnow Oct. 9, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 24, 1944

